The royal family’s difficult week just got worse.
Following Prince Philip’s high-handed response to writing off two cars in a horrific smash that could easily have been fatal, another shocking tale of royal arrogance toward the proletariat has surfaced.
A man has told U.K. newspaper The Sun that he was left bloodied and beaten after he was attacked with a stick by a gamekeeper at Sandringham, who called him a “fucking peasant” just two days after Philip’s crash. Prince Andrew is said to have been among the shooting party, but this has not been confirmed, and it is not being suggested he witnessed the attack.
Patrick Panks, 43, from the nearby village of Dersingham, took photographs of bloody injuries to his head, neck, and arms as well as the gamekeeper who he alleges assaulted him.
Panks told The Sun: “I came round the corner doing around 30 mph and this toff was stood with his dogs, about six of them.
“I had to stop because they were in the middle of the road. He was waving his stick around and he hit the front of my car.
“I wound down the window and before I could say anything he shouted, ‘Mind my dogs, you fucking peasant.’ I couldn’t believe it.
“I was so furious I leapt out and shouted ‘I’m no fucking peasant. Who are you calling a peasant?’”
The gamekeeper waved a stick and Panks says he told the man not to threaten him with it, to which, he says, the gamekeeper replied: “I don’t use weapons.”
Panks said: “You must have used weapons to kill those birds,” and pointed at the pheasants.
Panks says that the gamekeeper then “moved off the road and the dogs followed him so the way became clear again.”
Thinking the unpleasant episode was over, Panks turned and was returning to his car, when, he claims, the gamekeeper struck him from behind.
“I felt a heavy thud on the back of my head then this excruciating pain. This guy then started going ballistic.
“I turned round and he’d broken his stick on the side of my head. I could feel the blood trickling down my neck.
“But he just kept hitting me with the remainder of his stick like a man possessed.
“He smacked me on the left forearm, on the left wrist and round both of my shoulders.
“I was in shock. I kept saying ‘There’s no need for this.’ I told them I was going to the police.
“One of the other men said ‘There’s no need to ring police.’ He kept saying sorry.”
Panks said: “I’ve lived here my whole life and it has never felt more like an ‘us and them’ culture. I’ve always respected the royals. But it’s about time they learned to treat the rest of the world with some consideration.”
Panks said he suffered severe cuts to his head and neck and went to hospital for a brain scan. Doctors have warned him to expect a concussion. He also has cuts and bruises across both arms and his body.
Norfolk Police told The Sun: “Police were called around 3 p.m. on Saturday to reports of an incident in Dersingham involving two men. A crime report has been created and officers have spoken to both parties.”
Buckingham Palace told The Sun: “This is a police matter and we won’t be commenting.”